


The Sacrifice

by Kumar



Category: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess Of Power (1985)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:48:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25270378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kumar/pseuds/Kumar
Summary: Skeletor's attempts to hurt or kill Prince Adam and Princess Adora leads to tragic consequences (no character death). Can the twins protect those they love and save themselves and Eternia in the process?
Relationships: He-Man | Adam/Adora (She-Ra)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All chapters have been updated, some more than others. I realise I introduced a theme I hadn't threaded through the story properly. Now it works better and I can finally finish this one off. I'd apologise for the cliffhangers but I am not sorry at all ba-ha-ha-ha

It was dark. It was cold. Wait.. not cold, cooler. The air was damp, crisp causing an involuntary shiver.

Adora opened her eyes and all she saw was utter blackness. What had happened? Her breathing loud in the space, The young woman tried to gather her thoughts. Where was she?

She tried to move to assess her situation and found herself stuck. Legs pinned under what felt like rock. Right hand and arm twisted uncomfortably behind her. Her shoulder wrenched. Trying to move only made her gasp aloud.

The sound echoed in the space.

The young woman closed her eyes again, not that it mattered in the dark, and consciously slowed her breathing down. Horde training kicked in, as brutal as it was to grow up in the Horde, she found herself grateful for the training now. 

“What do I have and what do I need?” She whispered to herself.

Adam!

By the Ancients, they’d been walking together, enjoying some time off on Eternia when… something. Something had slammed into them. She remembered the feeling of free falling. Adam had to be around here somewhere!

“Adam!” Adora called out.

No response.

“Brother, please be alright,” she whispered before taking a deeper breath. “ADAM!”

No response.

What if he were hurt or worse? 

NO! She would know. She had to know. They were twins and closer than most. But still, what if...

It was up to Adora and she knew exactly what to do. The problem was reaching her sword. Her brother’s life was at stake; pain wasn’t important. With a gasp and a cry, Adora twisted hard and reached for the Sword of Protection with her left hand. Tears streamed down her face as she managed to get the sword part way out of the hilt. It was enough. It had to be enough.

“For the Honour of Grayskull!”

The magic of Castle Grayskull surrounded and penetrated the young woman, blasting her out of her rock prison and instantly healing her in the transformation. Seconds later, She-Ra stood in Aora’s place, whole and ready to find her brother.

“Sword to light!” She-Ra called out, holding her sword aloft. Instantly the cavern was lit up though the ceiling was far off and hidden in the dark. She could see Adam lying off to the side, partially buried under rocks. Unconscious. Hopefully.

It took less than a second for She-Ra to run over and clear the rocks enough to assess her brother’s situation. Fingers to neck. Holding her breath. He was alive!

She-Ra brushed the hair off his forehead and laid one hand on his head, the other on his chest and said, “For the Honour of Grayskull, let your wounds be healed!”

The hero's hands glowed and shimmered and it wasn’t long before Adam gasped and opened his eyes.

“What?” He asked, dazed. “What happened?”

She-Ra put a hand on her mouth in an attempt to hold back her emotions. That was a close one! It didn’t stem her tears. Adam noticed his twin’s distress and sat up to give her a hug.

“Hey, Sis, I’m ok.”

She-Ra took a brief moment to lean into that hug, knowing just how close her brother had come to death.

Taking a deep breath and pulling away, She-Ra said, “I don’t know about you, but this place is lacking in atmosphere. I think it’s time for us to leave.”

Adam grinned in response, “Yes, the amenities in here are terrible and the decor leaves a lot to be desired. It’s time for He-Man and She-Ra to make their way out!”

Adam stood up, pulling She-Ra to her feet and then reached for the Sword of Power, “By the Power of Grayskull!”

Another spectacular light show and He-Man appeared. 

“Now, Sis, how about we find our way out of here?”

She-Ra grinned, “I think we’re under the ground so I believe the fastest way out is up, my Brother. Care to give me a lift?”

He-Man grinned back, “Why madam, I’d be delighted.”

He-Man cupped his hands together, bending his knees slightly. She-Ra leapt and He-Man quickly tossed her up. Landing on a ledge within metres of the top of the crevasse that it turned out they were in, She-Ra quickly changed her sword to a long rope.

It only took a moment to lift He-Man up to where she was. Another moment for the two of them to leap out of the hole.

“Well, that wasn’t a good time,” She-Ra said, brushing herself off.

He-Man looked around, eyeing the area they were at. “No, it wasn’t,” he said. “Something isn’t right, Sis. Look,” he pointed further down the path, “We came from that direction. There shouldn’t even be a crevasse here at all.”

“Well, in that case, we need to do something before someone really gets hurt!”

Where the twins had been walking earlier, along a well trodden path through the forest near the Royal Palace, was now the angry, jagged hole of the crevasse they were in. The trees around it were tipped as though there was a massive earthquake. It was nothing like the serene and safe place they had been in earlier.

“Sword to grappling hook!” She-Ra announced. Her sword quickly changed and She-Ra tossed the hook into the opposite side of the hole. He-Man took the end of the rope and together the twins pulled until the crevasse was sealed shut.

She-Ra picked up the hook and transformed it back into the sword.

“Does Eternia get earthquakes like these?” She-Ra asked. She realised that she had no real idea what was normal for Eternia at all. She was home, if she could even call it home, so rarely that there were huge gaps in her knowledge.

“No…. “ He-Man paused, thoughtfully. “This is extremely localised. Something isn’t right here.”

“Maybe we should let Mother and Father know,” She-Ra said. They can warn the local population and keep an eye out.”

“Good idea, Sis,” He-Man replied. “Let’s head back to the palace. I think I’ve had enough fun for one day anway.”

The two walked off. Unnoticed by them, a little monitoring device was hidden nearby. On the other end, in Snake Mountain, Skeletor watched with interest.

“So that muscle bound fool and his sister have parents in the palace, eh?” The skull-faced wizard asked aloud. “I wonder who they are. I’m going to find out!”

He set the monitoring device into motion, having it follow the twins at a safe distance.  
“It’s time to destroy them for once and for all!”


	2. Chapter 2

Blah blah blah Some drivel about getting to know Eternia better. Something something blah.

Skeletor grew quickly bored watching He-Man and She-Ra make their way towards Eternos City and the Royal Palace. They were talking about boring things and the blue wizard found his attention slipping.

Until his screen went white. 

There was no warning, they had just stopped walking and the screen whited out. When it cleared, Skeletor could see Prince Adam standing next to She-Ra. That was odd. He-Man was gone. Maybe he left?

Then She-Ra pulled out her sword, said something he couldn’t quite make out, and the screen went white again!

Skeletor leaned forward with interest. His monitoring device was powered by magic, there was no way it should be shorting out or having interruptions of any kind unless…. Unless someone was using some very powerful magic. It was unlikely but possible.

A moment later, the screen cleared and She-Ra was no longer present. Just that annoying Princess Adora.

What could that mean?

“How did you want to tell Mother and Father about the crevasse?” Adora asked as they resumed walking. 

More blah blah blah… Skeletor lost interest as he started thinking furiously. Could Princess Adora actually somehow BE that annoying She-Ra? She did appear only after the Princess had returned to Eternia. She wasn’t here all the time either, but then again neither was the Princess. It was too much of a coincidence to ignore.

That could mean that snivelling Prince Adam was He-Man. But no… there was no way. Skeletor had had many encounters with the Prince and he was no He-Man. He was barely a man.

But it did mean that now Skeletor had something he could use! He could force She-Ra to work for him and take over ruling Eternia with her strength simply by kidnapping her family! Why, he could do anything if she was forced to be on his side.

This day was very interesting indeed and it had only started out with a simple, well timed creation of a crevasse and collapse designed to end the royal lineage once and for all. Which hadn’t worked but no matter because this was far, far better.

“Evil-Lyn,” Skeletor called out.

The tall and imposing witch appeared out of thin air but that didn’t startle Skeletor who was used to her dramatic entrances

“What is it, Skeletor?”

Skeletor leaned forward, already thinking fast on how to get the job done.

“I want to capture the royal family and you’re going to help!”

***

“It won’t be a fair fight,” Adam said, protesting halfheartedly. 

It was a day later and the Prince had been hoping to catch a break with his sister at his favourite fishing hole. Unfortunately, the pair had been caught before they could leave the palace. While it wasn’t entirely Adora’s fault, the two had been waylaid by some courtiers curious about their long lost princess, and then found by Teela, Captain of the Royal Guard and official combat trainer to the Prince.

And Teela was determined to ensure her charge attended his training.

Teela has proposed something different for the young prince’s combat lesson - a chance to face off against his sister using the practice swords. Ostensibly, this was to give Adam more practice fighting, but Teela wanted to see Adora’s moves. To see how skilled she actually was.

Though she wasn’t under Teela’s protection, the Princess was essentially an unknown and the Captain of the Royal Guard didn’t like unknowns.

“Come on, Adam,” Teela protested, “You’re not that bad! I’ve trained you, after all.”

Adora, meanwhile, was examining the wooden practise sword, feeling its weight and heft. She’d never used practise swords - the Horde believed in making sure its members learned their training well, and fast and permanently if need be.

She expertly tossed the sword in the air, flipping it and catching it again. It would do.

Adora was determined to make the best of the situation. She knew Adam had wanted a break, his royal duties were demanding, but she didn’t know Eternian etiquette and was afraid to offend the courtiers who had stopped them. This whole trip, Adora felt like she was just slightly out of step, not quite able to keep up, and it wasn’t a feeling that she liked feeling. 

But practise fighting? She could get behind that.

Seeing the group in the courtyard, the twins armed with swords, the King and Queen walked over, curious.

“What’s going on here?” asked Randor.

“Sire,” Teela responded, “I’m trying to convince Prince Adam to do a practise fight with Princess Adora.”

Intrigued, the King’s eyebrows shot up. 

“This should be interesting. Go ahead,” he ordered.

Normally one to smooth over any roughness between her husband and son, Marlena was intrigued. They really didn’t see much of Adora and when she was on Eternia, she wasn’t fighting. For the Queen, it was another chance to get to know her daughter better. 

“I don’t know the rules to practise fighting,” Adora said. She didn’t really want to get out of it; she’d never had to fight against her brother before. It could be fun. And maybe she would feel better afterwards.

Teela realising that she’d won, stepped forward. “Spar, fair fight no eyes, head or groin shots, and whoever gets in three hits with the flat of their sword wins.”

“Just a moment,” Adam said and then took Adora by the arm a few more steps away from the group. Quietly he asked, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Adora grinned, already feeling a bit competitive, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid, my Brother!”

“Oh, is that how it’s going to be?” Adam retorted, grinning back. “Fine, Sis, it’s so on!”

The twins touched swords and leaned into position. The group around them stepped back to give them room to fight.

It took less than a minute for Adora to land the first point. She started with a quick series of moves that blurred her sword and left Adam on the defensive before she whacked him hard on the upper arm.

"Hey!" the young man protested. "That hurt!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, my Brother," Adora replied, a wicked grin firmly in place. "I thought you were better prepared to fight!"

The group around them laughed but Teela cut herself short when she realised there was a veiled insult. After all, she had been responsible for training the Prince and he was clearly woefully unprepared. She felt unfairly judged and was determined to fix that.

"Adam! Focus and try to remember your lessons!" Teela called out. If she were facing off against the Princess, it would be a whole different fight. "Show her what Eternian swordsmanship is like."

Adora cringed slightly at the reminder that she didn't truly belong on Eternia except by birth. A stranger to her own family and people. An outsider.

The twins faced off again, swords up.

This time Adam was prepared and immediately began an offensive that took advantage of his longer reach and heavier weight. Adora made him work hard for it - she was very good - but he did land a hit.

As they were fighting, a small crowd of courtiers had gathered around. They were clearly enjoying the spectacle. When Adam landed his point, the crowd burst out in a cheer, happy that their Prince had taken a win.

Adora winced slightly at the noise. She wondered if anyone was cheering for her. Shaking her head slightly to stop the negative thoughts, what other people thought didn’t matter, she squared up again. She belonged here just as much as her brother, even if it often felt like she didn't.

Adam winced at the cheering for a different reason. He was worried about blowing his cover. He had spent years building a reputation of laziness mixed with some incompetence, to protect his secret and it could all end today if he wasn't careful. He wouldn’t be able to explain away his sudden abilities.

Just as they were about to start the next round, there was a disturbance in the crowd. Someone was pushing through without using any courtesy. The twins immediately went on alert, trusting their instincts above all else.

It was just a young lad with water. He ran up to Adam and Adora, starry eyed and nearly shaking in awe. Adam immediately let his guard down, knowing that the newest batch of young trainees had just come in and weren’t used to being amongst royalty.

“W-w-w-water?” The boy asked, holding up a jar.

Adora turned to look at her parents in the crowd just as all hell broke loose. The boy, holding the water out to Adam suddenly tossed it down on the ground. Blue smoke filled the air and Skeletor stood in his place.

Meanwhile, a strong hand on both the King and Queen kept them firmly in place - Evil-Lyn appeared within the smoke and then quickly vanished into thin air with her prisoners. It happened so fast, Adora could hardly believe her eyes.

Teela, reacting as trained, ran towards the group and though she was close, she wasn’t close enough.

“Too late, Captain!” Skeletor taunted. “I have the royal twits and I intend to keep them!”

Almost before he’d even finished the sentence, Skeletor had transported the twins to Snake Mountain.

Adam immediately tried to fight but all he had in hand was the wooden practise sword. 

Skeletor burst out laughing at his feeble attempt.

“Too little, too late, Royal Boob!” the blue demon announced. “I have won; Eternia is mine for the taking. Not even He-Man can save you now!”

Adora, never one to wilt during a fight, whacked Skeletor upside the head hard with her sword causing him to stagger slightly. 

“We don’t need He-Man,” she announced, “I’ll make you let us go!”

Skeletor casually zapped her with a flip of his finger. The young woman fell to the ground, unconscious.

“Why you-!” Adam started but was immediately stopped by being suddenly transported to the dungeons.

Skeletor nudged the unconscious woman with his boot. “Let’s see what makes you tick now, hmmmm?”


	3. Chapter 3

Adam appeared suddenly in Skeletor’s rankest, most damp dungeon. He’d been there before, a few times, as He-Man, so he knew the place well enough to know that getting out was going to be difficult if not impossible in his current form.

Before he’d even oriented himself, he was engulfed in hugs.

“Adam!” Marlena exclaimed. “Are you all right?”

The Prince hugged his parents fiercely, glad that they appeared to be unharmed.

“I’m fine, Mother… Father,” he replied. “But Skeletor has Adora.”

“That fiend!” Randor exclaimed. “What does he want? Did he say anything to give you an idea?”

Adam thought hard and fast. Skeletor was fairly predictable, with one goal that generally drove his actions. He wanted to rule Eternia. But usually he wasn’t this bold. Something else was going on. And the fact that Adora hadn’t appeared in the cell, meant he was up to something new. Same plan, new details? It was hard to tell.

“He mentioned something about ruling Eternia, Father. That can’t be good.”

“No Son, it’s definitely not good at all.”

***  
Meanwhile, in Skeletor’s lab, Adora was revived by having a cold bucket of water tossed on her. Evil-Lyn stood nearby, bucket in hand, having enjoyed the petty act. Beast Man waited off to the side.

Spluttering and shivering, the young woman slowly sat up and looked around. The place was dank and miserable. Dark walls, dark tables… there were what could only be torture devices for various sized creatures. It looked like she was in trouble, big time!

“Now, Princess,” a familiar voice said, “you’re going to tell me about how you are She-Ra!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Adora responded, climbing to her feet. “Do I even look like She-Ra?”

“I think you do!” Skeletor said, stepping closer. 

He reached out to grab the shivering woman by the chin but she stepped back suddenly.

“Beast Man!” Skeletor ordered. “Hold the Princess in place.”

Happy to be useful, and always ready to try to gain favour with his master, Beast Man ambled over, snuffling and grunting.

“Yes, Master!” the disgusting creature said.

He grabbed Adora from behind, hard, wrenching her shoulder in the process. Being non too gentle. The last time he was gentle, the Princess had escaped!

“Ah!” Adora yelped before forcing herself to be silent. She didn’t want to give them anything to work with.

“Fool!” Skeletor exclaimed at Beast Man. Sometimes he wondered why he kept the idiot around. “Evil-Lyn, scan her to see what magic you can find out. I know there’s more to the Princess than meets the eye….”

Evil-Lyn stepped forward, staff in hand and with what could only be described as an evil grin on her face. 

“It will be my pleasure, Skeletor,” she said. 

With a flick of the wrist, the witch pointed her staff at Adora and engulfed her in a burning magic beam. Adora, struggled to break free of Beast Man’s hold in order to escape the torment, but the creature’s heavier weight and strength kept her from succeeding. The pain was immediate but Adora refused to make a sound.

“There’s something there, Skeletor,” Evil-Lyn said after a few, very long, moments. “I can sense a powerful spell but I can’t quite tell what it is.”

“Let me try,” Skeletor raised his staff. “Perhaps the two of us can figure it out.”

With two beams focused on her, Adora found herself screaming involuntarily. The pain was constant and complete. The real problem, though, was that some of that magical energy hit Beast Man and he flinched hard while he held Adora in place. The flinch wrenched her arm and dislocated her shoulder which caused Adora to briefly lose consciousness.

“I’m sensing the power of Grayskull running through her,” Skeletor said, as though tasting a fine wine. He ignored Adora’s state. “There’s something familiar about it.”

Making a sudden decision, Skeletor stopped the beam and Evil-Lyn quickly followed. Beast Man tightened his grip on Adora when she leaned forward and threw up on the ground. 

“Beast Man, take the Princess to the dungeon for now. Evil-Lyn and I have some research to do.”

Beast Man picked up Adora, tossed her over his shoulder, and left the room.

“And in the meantime,” Skeletor said, scheming as usual, “I’m going to watch and see what happens when the Princess is reunited with her family…. They may give us the answers to what’s really going on!”

***

The door to the dungeon opened without warning. Adam turned away from his parents to try and run at whoever was coming in, but instead Adora was tossed on the floor by Beast Man before the door quickly closed again.

The young man rarely lost his temper enough to see red, but seeing his twin on the floor, barely conscious and in pain, triggered a moment of pure rage.

Adam had known Adora wasn’t being treated well. As twins, they could sense each other to a degree. Not enough to feel each other’s pain, but enough to be aware that something wasn’t right. And right now, something definitely wasn’t right.

Adam dropped to his knees beside his sister, a gentle hand behind her head as she struggled to sit up. “Hey, Sis.”

“Adam -” Adora whispered, frantically. “Skeletor thinks I have the key to She-Ra.”

“What?” Adam asked, hoping he had misheard. Skeletor had never come this close to knowing their secret before.

Adora closed her eyes briefly, exhausted. 

“They tortured me, looking for the answer,” she whispered. 

Then, seeing Adam’s expression Adora moved to sit up. She gasped as she moved her dislocated arm, immediately going pale. “My arm!”

The King and Queen having also gathered around, looked at each other gravely. Wounds and injuries were typically treated with magic or technology on Eternia. Without those tools at hand, the King and Adam didn’t know what to do.

The Queen, however, realised she did.

Dropping to her knees gracefully, Marlena gently touched Adora’s shoulder, feeling the dislocation. 

“Her shoulder is out of its socket,” she announced. “We have to help her.”

“How?” Randor asked. “We have no tools or training.”

“Ah, but you forget, Husband, that I was an astronaut on Earth. Though it has been a very long time, I do remember some of my first aid training!”

Not understanding the term, but realising that their mother could help, Adam asked, “What can I do to help, Mother?”

“Help Adora sit up,” Marlena instructed. “We don’t have a lot of space in here so it’s best if she’s sitting.”

Adam guided his sister to a sitting position while she gasped and breathed hard. He knew it would be far more effective to have her just change into She-Ra but he also knew that Skeletor would be watching the dungeon, and their parents were right there. They had to do this the hard way.

“Ok, hold her steady,” Marlena directed while she took Adora’s arm, positioned it and twisted.

Adam could feel the moment it slipped back into place at the same time that Adora gasped. The relief was immediate.

“I’m going to need something to make a sling out of,” the Queen continued. “Randor, give me your cape.”

She very quickly fashioned a sling and soon enough Adora was set and done. Adam sat beside her, wrapped a careful arm around her for support and breathed out. The day had started out with a fun competition and ended in a dungeon.

Randor had been pacing, unable to help and angry that his whole family had been captured. He was working out plans for escape in his head but hoped that He-Man would show up and save them all.

“What did Skeletor want from you, Adora?” the King asked. “What was he hoping to gain? You don’t have any leverage on Eternia!”

Adam winced at that. Though he loved his father, the man could be insensitive at times. Pointing out that Adora didn’t really belong on Eternia wasn’t helping the situation.

“He asked me about She-Ra,” Adora replied. “He wants her for something.”

“Well, we certainly could use her or He-Man right about now!” the King declared. “Where are they when we need them?”

“Where are they, indeed? Hmmmm?” Skeletor asked from outside the door. 

Adam scrambled to his feet and pulled Adora up by her good arm.

“They’ll be here, Skeletor,” Adam spat out, knowing in his heart that they were in a difficult situation and there would be no rescue unless something changed.

“I grow tired of waiting!” Skeletor responded, sliding the door open. “Beast Man! Bring me the Queen. We’ll see what she's made of!”

“No!”

Beast Man grabbed Marlena roughly by the arms and started dragging her to the door.

“No!” Adora called out.

“You prefer another target, Princess?” Skeletor asked, menacingly. “I grow weary of asking for She-Ra to join us. Perhaps I should take your brother instead?”

Realising that the situation wasn’t going to improve, and hoping that her sacrifice would keep her family safe, Adora took a deep breath and said, “I’ll give you She-Ra, Skeletor. Just leave my family alone!”

Skeletor cackled with glee. He’d discovered the magic behind She-Ra while Adora was in the cell. He all but knew how she transformed. Now he would force her to work for him or she’d never see her precious family again!


	4. Chapter 4

Adam watched Adora get pulled out of the cell, no care given to her injury. He knew that Skeletor would never honour any agreement for long and that his sister had bought them very little time.

What was she thinking, he wondered furiously, that she would just give herself up? There was always a solution and putting herself in Skeletor’s hands wasn’t it! This had to end here, before it went too far.

Adam spun away from the door, satisfied that none of Skeletor’s minions were nearby. He quickly herded his parents into the far corner of the cell, hoping they would have some privacy from whatever listening devices Skeletor had planted in the room.

“Mother,” Adam whispered after a quick glance around the room, “I want you to cry. Loudly.”

“What? -” Randor began but was interrupted by a sudden and loud wail from the Queen.

“They’ve taken my baaaa-by!” Marlena cried. Dramatically wiping her eyes and sniffling loudly.

Adam grinned. He knew he could count on his quick witted mother. He put one arm around his mother, and the other around his father and drew them in close.

“We don’t have much time,” Adam could feel it, time slipping away, “Adora is She-Ra, I am He-Man and I need you to create a diversion now.”

Randor’s mouth dropped open but Marlena just wailed louder after winking at her son. A mother always knew her own child.

Adam threw a firm look at his father, knowing the King would have many questions but there wouldn’t be time to answer them now.

“Go to the door, be very loud and distracting while I transform,” the Prince instructed. 

Marlena grabbed Randor by the arm and wailed louder. The pair walked over to the doorway and made sure to block the view of anyone who might be in the corridor. Adam watched for a split second, knowing exactly what was at stake, and pulled out his sword anyway.

“By the Power of Grayskull!”


	5. Chapter 5

Inside Castle Grayskull the Sorceress frowned. She was always aware of He-Man’s transformations and this one was …. Off. Different.

There were rules that both of the twins had to follow and while Adora had been reckless about hiding her identity especially during transformations, Adam had always been more careful. He may not have liked having to hide himself, his true self, from his parents but he did so regardless.

But now….. Hmmmmmmm.

***

“Now, Your Majesties, it’s time to leave,” He-Man declared, having finished his transformation. “Adora needs my help and I need to get you both to safety.”

Randor shook his head hard trying to understand how he had never seen it before - how similar his son and He-Man looked. Marlena just grinned, having guessed so long ago but never knowing for sure.

He-Man moved between them to the door and ripped it off its hinges.

“The fastest way out is this way,” He-Man said, eyeing the corridor. “Let’s move!”

The King and Queen quickly followed He-Man out, wisely saving their questions until later.

*** 

Meanwhile back in Skeletor’s lab, Adora was thinking furiously. She knew she had to stall to give Adam a chance to escape with their parents. Though they really hadn’t had the time to communicate properly, Adora knew that Adam would seize any chance he could get.

And then he would come back for her.

All she had to do was not reveal her secret long enough for He-Man to show up. Easy, right?

“Transform into She-Ra!” Skeletor demanded, none too patiently. “Do it or I’ll send Beast Man to bring your parents here! Perhaps torturing them will motivate you.”

“No!” Adora cried out, unable to help herself. 

“You have something to say?” Skeletor said. “Perhaps, you’re ready to do as I ask?”

“You’re a monster, Skeletor!” Adora said.”I don’t think -”

Quite suddenly Evil-Lyn stepped forward and with a quick flick of her wand hit Adora with a mild stun beam.

“Enough!” the witch growled, having lost patience. “Transform. We know you can do so, so do it!”

Adora tried to straighten up. The beam had made her woozy and weak but thankfully left her on her feet. With one arm in a sling, falling could have been a real problem.

She took a wobbly step forward.

“You didn’t ask nicely,” Adora said, feeling reckless and more than a little defiant. 

She had no idea if her family was safe yet or not but she knew that her ability to stall was coming to an end. Not if she wanted to keep Skeletor’s attention on her and away from the dungeon. Besides, they were the ones that ruled Eternia. If she didn’t make it out of here, it wouldn't matter as much. Not to Eternia anyway.

Evil-Lyn growled again and raised her wand but Skeletor held up his hand.

“Wait, Witch!” he said. “You, Princess, are testing my patience. Show us how you transform into that infernal She-Ra now or I’ll allow Evil-Lyn to scan you with her magic to try and force you to transform… and you won’t like that at all.”

Adora gulped, knowing that this wasn’t an empty threat. Evil-Lyn just grinned. It wasn’t a pleasant look.

Without a word, the young woman slowly pulled her sword out using her left hand. Immediately both Evil-Lyn and Skeletor went into defensive positions.

***

It was easier than He-Man expected to navigate his way out of Snake Mountain undetected with his parents in tow. They made it out through an underused side entry and he quickly moved them into a secluded area out of the way.

“Are you both all right?” He-Man asked.

Marlena stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in response.

“We are now, thanks to you,” she said warmly.

Randor stepped up and clapped a hand on He-Man’s shoulder.

“You did good today, Son,” the King said proudly.

He-Man grinned, happily basking in the warmth and love from his parents. And, even, he realised, respect. He’d been craving that feeling for years and he felt like he could drink it up forever, but not yet. Not while Adora was still in Skeletor’s hands.

He removed one of his wrist braces and handed it to Randor.

“Man-At-Arms built a comm link into this. Contact him and let him know where you are,” He-Man instructed. “I need to go back into Snake Mountain and rescue Adora.”

“I’ll go with you!” Randor declared, fervently. “She’s my daughter, I should be there for her.”

“No, Sire,” He-Man responded, touched to see how much his father cared. “It’ll be easier and safer if I go alone. Stay with Mother and call the palace for help.”

He-Man paused, reaching out through the tenuous link he shared with his twin, and winced slightly.

“Adora needs my help. I must go. Now.”

With that, He-Man turned and with the grace of a cat, he slipped away and back to Snake Mountain. He could feel that seconds mattered and he was determined not to waste a moment.

***

Skeletor sent a magic beam out of his staff which hit both Adora and the sword, The young woman dropped her sword as she was tossed back from the force of the beam. She hit the wall behind her hard and slid down to the floor.

“That sword is no threat to me!” Skeletor declared, marching up and towering over Adora who was slumped on the floor. “Your pitiful attempt to harm me has failed.”

The blue demon poked Adora’s injured shoulder with his staff. “Get up and show us the secret behind She-Ra.”

Adora stiffened at the sudden burst of pain but managed to keep silent. 

“My sword,” she whispered.

Skeletor pressed harder with his staff, leaning into it and watching Adora’s face with glee.

“Transform!” he demanded.

Adora went dead white as she felt her shoulder slip out again. The pain was incredible.

“Skeletor,” said Evil-Lyn. “Come here.”

Skeletor turned, while still leaning on his staff.

“What is it, Witch?”

Evil-Lyn had picked up Adora’s fallen sword and put it on a table. She had her wand over it and was running a magical beam up and down the sword.

“There’s something about this sword that I just can’t quite place. It’s full of magic but it is resisting my scans. Come here and help me.”

Skeletor turned just as the door burst apart. There, in the doorway stood He-Man and he looked none too happy.

“Bone Brain!” He-Man announced. “I believe you have a guest who would like to leave this terrible establishment!”

“He-Man! You muscle bound fool. The Princess is mine and I have the entire Royal family,” Skeletor bragged. “Get him!”

Evil-Lyn waved her wand, sending a magic beam his way but He-Man easily deflected the spell away. 

“Now that isn’t a nice way to greet an old friend,” He-Man said, leaping into the room.

Evil-Lyn stepped back and shot another spell out.

“We,” Evil-Lyn declared with disdain, “Are not friends.”

Expertly deflecting the magic, He-Man quickly reached the witch and grabbed her in a bear hug.

“Well then,” He-Man responded,” We should spend much… less…time together!”

He spun the witch around very quickly and tossed her out of the room. It was several seconds before there was the sound of a thud in the distance.

“Now, Skeletor, let the Princess go!”

He-Man was livid seeing Adora once again injured on the floor. Skeletor had his staff pointed at her, and stepped closer to ensure he was blocking He-Man.

“Oh, I don’t think so, He-Man,” Skeletor said in a menacing tone. “I think I’ll just keep her.”

“No one asked me what I wanted,” Adora said, quietly but fiercely. 

She’d closed her eyes during He-Man’s fight with Evil-Lyn hoping to look more out of it than she was. Hoping to get an edge if Skeletor thought she wasn’t a threat.

It had worked! The blue demon stepped closer and closer, no longer paying enough attention to her. And that was when Adora kicked out and connected hard with the back of Skeletor’s knee.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to thrust him forward towards He-Man, who quickly grabbed Skeletor, spun him once and then threw him with full force into the opposite wall. Skeletor was instantly knocked unconscious, wedged into a Skeletor-shaped indent.

He-Man barely paused to confirm Skeletor’s state before he ran over to his sister and dropped to his knees.

“Adora!” he said, “Are you all right?”

Adora closed her eyes again, feeling all of her adrenaline drain out at once. Exhausted and in pain but also relieved. Her brother had come to get her.

“My sword,” she whispered. “On the table.”

He-Man looked over his shoulder and he could see the edge of the Sword of Protection on the table. It took but a moment for him to get it and bring it back. Carefully placing it in Adora’s hand, he waited for her to say the words that would fix everything.

“For the… for… the…” the injured woman mumbled.

He-Man pulled out his sword and touched the blade to his sister’s sword.

“By the Power of Grayskull!”

Both swords glowed and Adora’s eyes suddenly opened.

“For the Honour of Grayskull!”

The transformation to She-Ra was spectacular, lifting the woman up and landing her on her feet. He-Man found himself breathing a sigh of relief knowing that this ordeal was just about done.

“Now, as She-Ra and He-Man, we can easily make our way out of here,” He-Man said, grinning.

“I agree, my Brother,” She-Ra said. “But first, I want to break a few things around here. Make it harder for old Bone Brain to cause trouble.”

He-Man frowned, “That’s not how we do things on Eternia, Sis.”

There it was again; that small reminder that Eternia wasn’t truly her home. That she didn’t quite belong. She-Ra turned away to pull herself together. The magic of Grayskull was incredible and her wounds were fully healed, but emotionally she was exhausted. More than she realised.

“What’s going on?” He-Man asked, frowning slightly. It was clear that something wasn’t right with Adora, and maybe hadn’t been for a while.

She-Ra sighed. 

“I just don’t feel like I belong here,” she said. “I don’t know anything about Eternia or how to be royalty or what’s normal here! I want to fit in but I don’t even know where to begin.”

He-Man realised he’d been so caught up in the joy of having a twin and having a place to escape to, that he’d never considered how hard it would be for her to come home to a planet she didn’t even know. And to fill a royal role she wasn’t prepared to be in.

He was about to respond when Skeletor groaned suddenly. Both twins spun around to make sure the blue demon didn’t get up.

“I think it’s time for us to leave,” He-Man said and then he paused for a beat, “but first, let’s break a few things.”

She-Ra grinned in response.

Skeletor groaned once more.


	6. Chapter 6

Much later, at the palace, the royal family was having a discussion in the King’s reception room. The twins had made their way out of Snake Mountain with very little effort, transformed back to their normal selves and met up with their parents as they journeyed back to Eternos City with Man-At-Arms and the Royal Guard.

The return itself was anticlimactic though it did include a debriefing by Teela and a visit to the palace physician before the family was finally alone sitting together and going through the day’s events.

“I can’t believe I never noticed!” Randor declared, clearly peeved that his son had lived a dual life right under his nose. “And all those things I said to you, Adam, I hope you can forgive me.”

Adam, basking in the love and acceptance he’d been dreaming of, responded, “Of course, Father. I always understood your reasons.”

Adora smiled at seeing Adam getting his heart’s desire. She never had the same issues as her twin, having to hide her double life so carefully, but she understood his need to be seen for who he truly was. In her case, though, her parents knowing about She-Ra made very little difference to her. She didn’t have a charade to hold up. In fact, she had very little history and experience with them at all.

“We’re so proud of you, Adam,” Marlena said warmly. “And you too, Adora. You make Eternia proud.”

“Eternia doesn’t even know I exist!” Adora said, finally letting out her frustration. “I’m sorry, Mother… Father… I appreciate your love and affection but I don’t belong here.”

“Adora!-”

“No,” Adora said, standing up and pacing, “Everything that’s happened over the past few days has shown me how little I belong here. I don’t know the customs, the history, even how to fight! How am I supposed to be a princess too?”

Marlena stood up and stepped into Adora’s path, forcing the younger woman to stop pacing. She reached out and grasped her daughter by the arms, trailing her hands down until they clasped hands.

“My daughter,” Marlena said, “I know how hard this is for you. I felt the same way when I first landed here. Your father helped me settle in.”

Adora sniffed a little, surprised to find herself teary without warning. “You were a stranger, Mother; I was born here and I don’t fit.”

Randor joined them, putting a warm arm around Adora, his heart aching at her admission. “We’re here for you, Daughter. By the Grace of Eternia, we will all help you settle in,” the King declared.

Adam stood up, heart full of love for his family. “You are not alone, Sis. We’re all here for you.”

Randor laughed, suddenly feeling more lighthearted than he had in a long time. His children were more than incredible. His wayward son was a hero. His lost daughter, found and more amazing than he’d dared to hope. “I am the most proud I have even been of the both of you. And, Adam,” he said, “You are -”

Suddenly everything froze. Randor, mid sentence. Marlena, mid blink. The room was eerily silent. 

“What?-” the twins said at the same time.

They both stepped out of the family embrace and pulled out their swords. A half a second later, they could hear the approaching cry of a falcon and the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull appeared in the room.

“Sorceress!” Adam said. “What’s going on?”

“Prince Adam,” the ancient caretaker of Grayskull said, sombrely, “Princess Adora. What has happened here must be undone.”

“I don’t understand,” Adora said, frowning.

“Your parents cannot know the secret behind He-Man and She-Ra. It would be disastrous for everyone.”

Adam sheathed his sword. “Why? What could it hurt? My father finally knows who I really am!”

“You must trust me on this, Prince Adam,” the Sorceress responded. “Your parents cannot know the truth.”

Adam suddenly turned away, knowing exactly how futile resisting the Sorceress and this rule was. This wasn’t the first time he’d faced this one.

“Look at how this is hurting him,” Adora said, finally sheathing her own sword. “It’s killing him to play the fool and not have the respect of our parents!”

“Adam!” the Sorceress called, “You have a choice between your happiness and the safety of Eternos City and your family. What would you choose?”

Adam sighed and turned back, knowing that there wasn’t really any kind of choice for him. He would always choose the good of the many over his own well being. The Sorceress nodded, knowing what her Champion would choose. One of the reasons he made such a good Champion of Grayskull was his ability to sacrifice himself and his needs to help others.

She waved her hands, for a moment everything glowed and then settled. “It is done. Your parents do not remember your secrets. Instead, they remember you all being rescued by He-Man and She-Ra.” 

The Sorceress stretched out her arms, ready to transform back into Zoar the Falcon, but she paused for a moment. “Oh, and Adora. You will eventually fit in here on Eternia. Give it time and visit often.” 

And with that, the Sorceress transformed and flew out the window. As soon as she left, everyone came back to life again.

“As I was saying, Adam,” Randor said, “That He-Man really came through for us today. I hope you were paying attention to how reliable he was! You could learn a thing or two.”

“Yes, Father,” Adam sighed. His shoulders slumped.

***

Adora’s visits to Eternia were always short and she was soon on her way back to Castle Grayskull to go home. Adora sighed at that thought. Home. She was far more at home on Etheria where she had friends and knew the people, planet and issues. She was supposed to be at home on Eternia, where she was born, but she always felt out of step.

“I’m going to miss you,” Adam said, sitting beside her in the attack track. “It’s never the same here when you’re gone.”

“And I’ll miss you, my Brother,” Adora replied warmly. Adam, at least, was someone she never had to question. 

The young man handed over a device to his sister. It was small, had a screen on it but was dark. “I made this for you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a brief history of Eternia and, more specifically, our family,” Adam replied, reaching out to touch a recessed button on the device. “Turn it on here and you can read all about our people and our home. It has a very long lasting power source so you won’t need to worry about that.”

Adora grinned, loving how thoughtful the gift was. “Thank you.”

“I’m just sorry I didn’t think about it sooner. You’ve been struggling and I could have made things easier for you.”

“How can I make things easier for you, Adam?” Adora asked, knowing that Adam was struggling with the loss of their parents’ respect. 

Adam reached out to grasp Adora’s hand. “Just come back soon, Sis. Everything is easier when you’re around.”

Adora squeezed their hands before letting Adam pull away. “I will. And next time, I’ll be better prepared!” 

She held up the little device with a grin, already feeling better about her next trip to Eternia. It would take some time, but she didn’t have to navigate a new planet and people alone and that was all that mattered.


End file.
